Julie Hesmondhalgh a Working Diary
Read an extract from actor and activist Julie Hesmondhalgh’s Working Diary which documents a year in her life.
Actors and Performers
Surviving Actors 2019
Methuen Drama attend the Surviving Actors 2019 conference in London. Read about our day and seminar with Daniel Dresner.
‘If in Doubt’ Rules For Letter and Email Writing
As with most things in the acting world there is no ‘right way’ when it comes to putting a letter or email together. The following advice comes from interviews I’ve carried out with various actors, casting directors, agents and other industry experts; basic rules you can fall back on when in doubt, that will leave you something professional and effective.
10 Tips from the Master of Impro!
For the last 2 weeks of June 2014, I was in Calgary working with Keith Johnstone (as his Literary Executor) preparing and packing his personal archive (or a portion of it) for shipment to Stanford University where The Keith Johnstone Papers will be permanently housed.
The Similarities Between Acting on Stage and Acting on Camera
Film and stage are quite similar in that they both are looking for truthful behavior within imaginary circumstances, or to quote Stanislavski, “Actors must live privately in public” regardless of medium.
Beyond #metoo
In October 2017, the The New York Times published an article accusing Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual harassment and assault. The entertainment industry’s apparent astonishment caused actress Alyssa Milano to tweet, “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”
Interview with Andy Blankenbuehler
This interview is an excerpt taken from Creating Musical Theatre: Conversations with Broadway Directors and Choreographers (2013), by Lyn Cramer.
CRAMER: I want to ask you about choreographic approach
Finding an Agent
With so many agents to choose from, it’s wise to spend time on researching which ones to target. Of course, you’ll get ideas from teachers and friends, but you should also spend time looking at websites – unless you’re prepared to spend a small fortune on postage and other costs.
Choosing the Right Agent for You
Agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Larger, well-established West End concerns certainly have the attraction of the star names they represent, and if they offer you a place it could work for you. They will have the first look at film scripts, and the international cachet.
Agents and what they do
Actors without agents tend to lack credibility in the eyes of potential employers. It’s not fair, but it’s a fact. However hard you work at getting to know potential employers, most agents have their fingers closer to the pulse, know what’s coming up, and simply have far more contacts than you can ever have. That’s their job.